The Ministry of Health (Minsa) , announced in its report this Thursday, April 30, that the cases of Covid-19 increased to 6,532 and the number of deaths rose to 188.

The head of Epidemiology of the Minsa, Lourdes Moreno , noted that the new cases are 154, and explained that five of the deaths occurred in the last 24 hours and the other five were notified in previous days after studies carried out and are added to the report of this Friday.

In home isolation there are 2,916 patients, of which there are 1,157 in hospital hotels; 282 in the ward and 86 in intensive care units.

About the patients recovered by the laboratory, he said there are 576.

To date there are 30,749 accumulated tests, of which 912 are new. 23,497 were negative and 7,252 were positive.

Saturday and Sunday quarantined

For her part, the national director of Health of the Minsa, Nadja Porcell , said that the days of total quarantine will be Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3, but not tomorrow, Friday, May 1 (Labor Day), which will be a day in which women can go shopping at the times established by the last ID number.

Porcell recalled that the population cannot move to the interior of the country. He called on people with safe passages to use it exclusively for work tasks. "We have to stay home."

The official also said that today a group of 18 people with the virus were transferred from the Guna Yala region, who were taken to a hospital hotel, where they will receive treatment under medical supervision.

He added that this Thursday, managers of the Minsa and the new Integrated Panama Solidarity Hospital made a tour of the facilities of this new hospital center, which is enabled for the care of patients with Covid-19.

The national director of Health of Minsa announced that Panama was the only country in America invited by the World Health Organization (WHO) to present, together with other member countries, their experiences and knowledge in the fight against the new coronavirus.

For Panama, a team led by the vice minister, Luis Francisco Sucre, participated, who explained the evolution of the virus, sanitary measures and the six rings of the Plan Protect yourself Panama. Countries such as Qatar, Turkey, Vietnam and Bhutan also presented at this virtual meeting.

Plasma donations and reengineering in hospitals

The director of the Social Security Fund (CSS), Enrique Lau Cortés , said that the Blood Bank of the Dr. Arnulfo Arias Hospital Complex Madrid received three convalescent plasma donors on Thursday.

There is evidence that the patient's enzymes with two weeks of virus recovery, increase their defenses in proteins called immunoglobulins, and this plasma is what the sick patient receives so that he can get out of the disease crisis, he explained. This fact makes the Hospital Complex a pioneer in Panama in the application of the treatment, he added.

He reminded the population that in the places where street closures are being carried out, health workers who are unable to go to work sites and vehicles on a special mission are being affected. He asked the protesters to let them pass.

Regarding the reengineering plan of the metropolitan hospitals, Lau indicated that it will start from next May 4.

Susana Jones, Irma Tzanetatos and the Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid Complex are functionally integrated for the care of surgeries, he said.

The Complex continues to attend cases of major surgery and receive coronavirus patients; While the emergency room of the Susana Jones Hospital is enabled, in the Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid Hospital, minor surgeries will continue to be attended until May 30. These surgeries will be attended at the Susana Jones Hospital, in Villa Lucre, from Monday, June 1.

While at the Irma Tzanetatos Hospital, on December 24, other types of surgeries continue to be attended.

There is a departure to pay health workers

The new vice minister of the Presidency, Carlos García, reported that they received concerns from Minsa and CSS doctors about the payment of their salaries, due to misinformation circulating on social networks.

Given this, he assured that 123 million dollars have been identified in the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which will be transferred for the payment of health workers when the CSS and the Minsa request it.